Chair



Dec. 23, 1941. w. NORDMARK 2,266,897

- CHAIR Fi led June 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet IN V EN TOR. 7V0 71hr mrazzn 41:71 717 BY I V 02:? /& c4. M d Cr... J ATTORNEYS.

Dec. 23, 1941. w. NORDMARK CHAIR Filed June 20, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 ATTORNEYS.

Patented Dec. 23, 1941 CHAIR Walter Nordmark, Grand Rapids, Mich., a'ssignor to American Seating Company, Grand Rapids, Mich., a corporation of New Jersey Application June 20, 1938, Serial No. 214,623

4 Claims.

The present invention relates to chairs, particularly such as are provided for theatres and the like; and its object is, generally, to provide such a chairimproved in various respects hereinafter appearing; and more particularly, to provide in such a chair a seat having improved means for supporting it for movement forwardlyrearwardly and for movement to lowered use position and to raised position; and further, to provide an improved back pivotally mounted for forward-rearward movement; and further, to provide improved means whereby the seat and back together move forwardly-rearwardly; and further, to provide improved means for holding the seat from tilting downwardly at its front edge; and further, to provide an improved shield for preventing injury from rearward movements of the seat or back; and further, to provide such parts in various improved combinations.

These and any other and more specific objects hereinafter appearing are attained by, and the invention finds preferable embodiment in, the chair structure particularly described in the body of this specification and illustrated by the accompanying drawings, in which:

Figure 1 is an elevational front view of a theatre chair;

Figure 2 is a central vertical sectional view thereof taken on line 22 of Figure 1;

Figure 3 is a like view of the same but showing the chairs seat and back in another position;

Figure 4' is an inner side View of one of the chairs leg standards with connected parts;

Figure 5 is an elevational rear view of the chair, certain parts being sectioned on line 5-5 of Figure 2;

Figure 6 is a horizontal sectional view thereof taken -on line 66 of Figures 4 and 5;

Figure '7 is a vertical sectional View of the same taken on line 1-1 of Figure 6;

Figure 8 is a vertical sectional View of the upper portion of the chair taken on line 88 of Figure 5.

In the chair illustrated by these drawings, the shield I (a plate of sheet metal or the like) has a rearwardly bowed main or middle portion 2 behind the chairs back 3 and the rear edge of its seat 4, lateral portions 5 extending forwardly around the side edges of the back and mounted at 6 on the inner sides of the chairs leg standards 1 respectively, and also a bottom portion 8.

The rearwardly bowed back 3, i. e. its main lower part 9, is supported hingedly by the shield; that is, the rear member or plate ll] (of sheet metal or the like) of the backs upper part H is mounted, preferably detachably, as by the threaded bolts I2 extending through said plate it and through the shield and said lower main part 9 of the back is supported directly on this upper part I i by resilient hinges [3 (of rubber or the like) whose upper and lower portions or hinge leaves 14 are secured at l5, IS on the backs said parts respectively, so that the back, i. e. its lower main part, may turn between forward and rearward positions shown in Figures 2 and 3. The portion I! of this hinge extending forwardly between the mutually adjacent edges E8 of the backs said parts serves to cushion their relative approaching movement.

For supporting the seat medially of its front and rear edges for forward-rearward bodily movement andalso for turning movement to raised and lowered positions, horizontal pins I9 are mounted on and extend through the upwardly extending lateral flanges 20 of the seats bottom frame or pan 2| (of sheet metal or the like) and through fixed bar supports 22 secured as by welding to the inner surfaces of the lateral flanges 2!! of the seat pan 2!), these pins serving as axles for the anti-friction rolls 23 turnable thereon and traveling between the upper and lower sides 24, 25 of slot bearings 26 in the track members?! fastened/3.528 on the inner sides of the standards respectively, these rolls being retained, against lateral displacement,

side portions 5 respectively, the horizontal middle or bight portion 33 of this rod being turnable in a bearing 34 in the upper portion of a block 35 which block is located slightly behind the rearis desirably resilient '(as rubber) is cushion its stoppingaction, and the depending portion thereof has an opening 4| through which extends the middle portion 42 of a bail 43 behind the seat,

the end portions 44 of this bail extending forwardly and having bearings 45 turnably receiving the axle pins IS. The chairs back and seat are thus connected by this bail and the rod 30 for forward-rearward movement together.

A reinforcing metal clip 46 extends around the upper end of the block and along its sides and bolts or rivets 41 extend through this clip, the block and the bail for holding the same together. A stop 48 on the side of the seat serves to limit its turning movement.

Coiled springs 53 pressing between the standards and the sides of the seat balance the seat resiliently between the standards.

Upholstery for the back and the seat is shown, comprising the flexible cover sheets 49, 50 and resilient stuffing (of sponge rubber or the like) between the sheet 49 and the rear plates I0, 36 of the back and between the sheet 56 and the top plate 52 of the seats bottom frame or pan 2|. It will be seen that the axis of the turning movement of the hinges leaves I4 is offset horizontally from the axis 32 of the turning movement of the rod 30, so that the back and the rear portion of the seat in its use position move forwardly-rearwardly in a nearly horizontal line.

It will also be seen that the slot bearings 26 of the track members are somewhat inclined downwardly-rearwardly whereby the seat and back tend to move rearwardly, and that the forward-rearward movement of either of these parts of the chair carries the other with it by reason of the ball 43 which connects said parts, and that this action is true in any turned position of the seat about the axis of the pins [9 which, bearing in the slots 26, support the seat for its turning movement and also for its forward-rearward movement.

It will also be seen that the shield prevents injury to persons behind the chair resulting from the rearward movement of its seat and back, and that the shields bottom 8 prevents persons seated behind the chair from thrusting their feet between the shield and the rear part of the seat. The invention being intended to be pointed out inane claims, is not to be limited to or by details bfeconstruction and arrangement of the particular embodiment thereof illustrated by the drawings or hereinbefore shown or described.

' I claim: R 1. In a chair of the class described: a frame comprising a pair of laterally spaced leg standards having forwardly-rearwardly extending slide bearings; a seat between the stan ds having pivots at its sides slidable and turnab e ni said bearings for permitting forwardly-rearw dly bodily movement and turning movement of seat to lowered use position and to raised position; a back connected adjacent its upper end with the frame for forwardly-rearwardly turning movement; a vertically elongated member connected medially with the back adjacent the lower end thereof and pivotally connected adjacent its upper end with the frame and adjacent its lower end with the seat adjacent the rear end thereof and having at its lower end a stop portion, the seat having a rearward extension adapted to engage said stop portion in the seats lowered use position for holding the seat against turning downwardly from said position. 2. In a chair of the class described: a frame comprising a pair of laterally spaced leg standards having forwardly-rearwardly extending slide bearings; a seat between the standards having pivots at its sides slidable and turnable in said bearings for permitting forwardly-rearwardly bodily movement and turning movement of the seat to lowered use position and to raised position; a back connected adjacent its upper end with the frame for forwardly-rearwardly turning movement; a vertically elongated member connected medially with the back adjacent the lower end thereof and pivotally connected adjacent its upper end with the frame; and a bail having a middle portion behind the seat pivotally connected with said member adjacent the lower end thereof and opposite side portions pivotally connected with the sides of the seat, said member having a stop portion adjacent its lower end and the seat having a rearward extension adapted to engage said stop portion in the seats lowered use position for holding the seat against turning downwardly from said position.

3. In a chair of the class described: a frame comprising a pair of laterally spaced leg standards having forwardly-rearwardly extending slide bearings; a seat between the standards having pivots at its sides slidable and turnable in said bearings for permitting forwardly-rearwardly bodily movement and turning movement of the seat to lowered use position and to raised position; a back connected adjacent its upper end with the frame for forwardly-rearwardly turning movement; a resilient stop having an opening therethrough; a vertically elongated member connected medially with the back adjacent the lower end thereof and pivotally connected adjacent its upper end with the frame and adjacent its lower end with the stop; and a bail having a middle portion behind the seat extending through the stop and opposite side portions pivotally connected with the sides of the seat, the seat having' a rearward extension adapted to engage the stop in the seats lowered use position for holding the seat against turning downwardly from said position.

4. In a chair of the class described: a frame comprising a pair of laterally spaced leg standards having forwardly-rearwardly extending slidbearings; a seat between the standards having pivots at its sides slidable and turnable in said bearings for permitting forwardly-rearwardly bodily movement and turning movement of the seat to lowered use position and to raised position; a back connected adjacent its upper end with the frame for forwardly-rearwardly turning movement; a resilient stop having an opening therethrough; a vertically elongated member connected medially with the back adjacent the lower end thereof and pivotally connected adjacent its upper end with the frame and adjacent its lower end with the stop; and a bail having a middle vportion behind the seat extending through the stop and opposite side portions pivotally connected with the sides of the seat,the seat having a rearward extension adapted to engage the "stop in the seats lowered use position for holding th e seat against turning downwardly from said po s" on, the point of the backs connection with the ram being offset rearwardly from the point of theelongated members connection with the frame.

WALTER NORDllIIARK. 

